Retail sales in Australia fell unexpectedly for the third consecutive month in December, posting the longest stretch of declines in 13 years, as consumers were reluctant to spend more amid a deteriorating employment outlook.
The fact that the current Governor of the Bank of Japan Masaaki Shirakawa will step down on March 19, three weeks before his five-year tenor ends in April, is adding to concerns that more aggressive monetary easing from Japan's central bank could now come sooner than it was expected.
British house prices dipped for the first time in three month in January, after rising for two straight months, a sign that the property market is struggling to gain the momentum.
The number of applications for U.S. home mortgages rose significantly last week, as interest rates climbed, while refinancing demand accounted for a slightly smaller proportion of total activity, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday.
The number of German factory orders rose more than initially was expected in December due to a marked rise in demand from the Eurozone, indicating that the impact of the ongoing sovereign debt crisis on Europe's largest economy is easing.
The current Governor of the Bank of Japan will step down on March 19, almost three weeks before his term was due, as he is facing intense pressure for stronger monetary easing.
The Swiss trade surplus shrank in the last month of 2012 and fell to a 16-month low, due to a slump in exports, the Federal Statistical Office said Tuesday.
The chances that the U.K. will fall into a triple-dip recession ebbed and nation's service sector grew at the fastest pace in four months in January.
The service sector in the world's largest economy expanded in line with analysts' expectations, although the pace of growth slowed slightly from the previous month, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Trade in the Eurozone shops fell by the largest margin in eight months in December, underscoring domestic weakness in the region's economy that is likely to weigh on the recovery, despite emergent signs the bloc has passed the deepest point in its downturn.
Swiss export decreased in the last month of 2012 to its lowest level in 16 months as the weaker performance of the Eurozone's economy dragged down the demand for the Swiss watches and machinery and electrical products, the Federal Statistical Office reported on Tuesday. Exports fell 1.5% in December, while imports of the economy increased by 5.5%. "Switzerland's foreign trade managed to withstand the difficult global economic
The amount of cash Swiss commercial banks held with nation's central bank turned lower in the week to February 1, a sign that investors are getting more anxious over Eurozone's financial woes.
The amount of domestic currency in circulation and current account deposits held at the Bank of Japan rose in January compared to that in the same month last year, indicating that the expansion of asset-purchase programme and other bold actions done by Shinzo Abe are starting to have an effect on the economy and may result in a revival of
The U.K. construction output shrank for the third consecutive month in January, due to weak domestic demand, which was hit by a cold snap that brought snow across the country and created a drag on building projects.
The number of orders placed with U.S. factories increased less than forecast in December, indicating a drop in non-durable goods that partly countered gains in construction equipment and computers.
The number of people out of work in Spain rose last month, as a fifth year of economic downturn left the country with a third of the labour force jobless.
Producer prices in the 17-nation bloc contracted for the second successive month in December giving a chance for the European Central Bank to lower the interest rate in order to revive the economy of the bloc. Eurozone factory prices fell 0.2% in the last month of 2012 equally with factory prices of the 27-nation European Union recording in the same
Construction output in the U.K. missed economists' projections, as declined again in the month of January, recording the lowest figure since June 2012, the Markit survey showed on Monday. The Markit/CIPS Construction Purchasing Managers' Index stayed unchanged in January from the month before, when it slipped to a six-month low at 48.7 compared to forecast of 49.1."January's survey results are
Switzerland's key manufacturing output index soared to the highest level in one and a half years in January, reflecting a recovery in the sector from the last year's slowdown.
The number of people out of work in the world's third largest economy edged higher in the last month of 2012, blocking the country's ongoing efforts to tackle the economic slowdown under the new leadership of Shinzo Abe.
Activity at the U.K. manufacturing sector expanded for the second consecutive month in January, raising hopes the economy can avoid a fall into a new recession, even though the activity grew less than a month before and was below expectations.
The pace of hiring in the world's largest economy eased slightly last month, while unemployment rate edged higher from previous month's level, the Labor Department figures showed on Friday.
The Eurozone's manufacturing sector is showing signs of edging back to recovery despite the region's ongoing debt crisis, as Markit's purchasing managers' index, which reflects manufacturing activity, came in at 47.9 in January, compared with 46.1 the prior month.
Canadian economy picked up some steam in November, beating analysts' expectations, mostly, due to the rebound in the manufacturing sector.